Scare Me
by Nicole1
Summary: Challenge response to have Teyla tell John a scary story that her mother would have told her. Short, oneshot Halloween fic, no spoilers.


**Scare Me**

_A Halloween fic for everyone :P_

"Come on! You know that was scary," John flung his hands helplessly into the air.

Teyla gave him that slow, disarming smile of hers and just shook her head.

"You weren't scared at all?" He cringed at his own voice, it was almost whiney.

"Would you like me to lie to you John?"

"It wouldn't hurt my ego," he grinned.

"Okay then yes... The man with the hook was terrifying. I was...how do you say...shaking in my boots."

John laughed. "You think you can do better?"

Her eyes took on a mischievous glint that was emphasized by the firelight reflecting off her dark brown eyes. "Perhaps."

"Really." John put his hands close to the flames and relaxed as the warmth worked its way through his body.

They had flown a puddle jumper to the mainland a few hours ago mostly due to John's ability to nag. He had argued that you couldn't not celebrate Halloween. Not acknowledging a holiday that included lots of candy was just wrong in his book. So he had convinced Teyla to join him in a night of scary stories around a campfire. It would be better with candy, but beggars couldn't be choosers. Besides spending an evening curled up around a fire with Teyla wasn't anything to complain about.

"I do not know. It may give you nightmares."

John rolled his eyes. "I don't scare easily."

"We shall see," she teased.

"Okay now you've got me curious." He rubbed his hands together. "Come on Teyla, scare me."

She pursed her lips, "The thing is, the reason this story is so frightening is." She paused and looked behind her. When she spoke again it was in a hushed yet serious tone. "It is true."

"Right." John crossed his arms over his chest.

"You think that I would lie to you?" Her face tensed.

"Yes. I mean...NO," he blurted.

She relaxed. "I was only teasing. But really, it did really happen. My mother told it to when I was younger, just as her mother told it to her and so on. It's a family legend."

John knew he looked like a kid in a candy store, but didn't care. "I'm waiting"  
She spoke in a tone that was filled with conviction and perhaps a little admiration. "You know our people have been culled by the Wraith for centuries. This story takes place many, many years ago. Back during one of the first Wraith attacks, one man refused to allow his family to be killed and when a Wraith entered his tent, he fought back...and won. His family was spared that night. His name was Adriel. I am his descendant."

John shrugged and tried to look unimpressed.

Teyla continued. "Although the creature itself was dead, and the culling over, strange things were still occurring in the village. People were still dying. Drained of life, just as if a Wraith had attacked them. Only, there was no Wraith in the town. They searched for the killer but no one was ever seen or heard. Adriel was the one who realized what was happening, for after two months of unexplained deaths he witnessed an attack. A young man was lying in his bed, my ancestor heard him scream and he raced inside, and saw the spirit of the Wraith he had killed hovering over the villager. He was almost solid but not, it was like looking through colored water, and his long hair was blowing about, but there was no wind. He was a ghost. Adriel realized he had to stop this, he blamed himself for killing the creature in the first place. It was his responsibility to stop it, to restore peace to the village."

John swallowed and resisted the urge to look behind him as a breeze tickled the back of his neck.

"He watched helplessly as the young man's life was sucked out of him. He tried to fight off the spirit but it was no use. His weapons passed right through. After that night he went to consult with one of the oldest and wisest of his village. They told him the only way to defeat the spirit was to face it in a _Circle of truth_ and fight it...soul to soul. The village elder set up the circle using ancient rituals that have long since been lost to us. Adriel had to face the creature alone. They left him standing in the circle by himself. No one knows exactly what happened that night for when they went to check on him the next day, he wasn't there. All that was left was his clothing. He was never heard from again...but neither was the Wraith. It is believed he made the ultimate sacrifice to save his people from the torture of the Wraith's spirit."

She stopped and studied him closely.

John released a breath he didn't know he'd been holding, and tried to ignore the goose pimples covering his flesh. He forced himself to smile. The intensity with which she had spoken had really unnerved him, but he wasn't scared. Not at all. A little voice in the back of his mind whispered "_Liar_." He promptly told it to shut up.

"That was interesting."

She flashed him a knowing smile. "Yes, I have always thought so."

"Okay, so I don't deny that was better than all mine put together. You almost had me," he pointed a finger at her.

"Had you?"

"I mean for a minute there I actually believed it was true."

She cocked her head to one side. "It was."

"Teyla come on. You aren't serious. Right?"

She shrugged and stood. "I think we should get going."

John sighed but let it drop as he put out the fire and helped her gather all their belongings. They then walked back to the jumper, shoulders occasionally brushing, much to John's delight. He loved just being with her like this, relaxed, he felt almost like they were two lovers back from a date.

As John started the engine he couldn't help sneaking glances at her out of the corner of his eye. She appeared as serene as ever.

"Teyla."

"John."

"Thanks."

"For what?"

"Coming out here with me. I know it wasn't exactly you idea of a good time."

She studied him for a moment before reaching out and placing a warm hand over his. "Anytime with you is enjoyable."

John felt his face begin to burn. "Yeah, right back at you. So do we have a date for next year. Same day, same place," he tried.

"A date." She seemed to mull that over for a second. "Yes, I think we do."

"Cool."

They flew in silence for a short while. " So, Teyla about that story, it was just a story right?"

Teyla just smiled the rest of the way back to Atlantis.

**feedback is always loved and adored :))**


End file.
